Carpet sweeper



June 2, 1931.

W. E. SH ERBON DY CARPET SWEEPER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Dec. 14, 1923 Z4 Z5 M A, H7 A l lm/r'aza June 1931. w. E. SHERBONDY 1,303,323 v CARPET SWEEPER Original Filed Dec. 14, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 J MEL/2'" 022 liq H .71 ORA/1249 June 2, 1931. w. E. SHERBONDY CARPET SWEEPER Original Filed Dec. l4, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 llvz l-si/vr QR J91 rozmvzuL s June 2, 1931. w, SHERBONDY 1,808,323

CARI ET SWEEPER Original Filaed Dec. 14, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 JIs MEZVT J @MCZG 3X55 Patented June 2, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM E. SHERBONDY, or SHAKER HEIGHTS, OHIO CARPET SWEEPER- Application filed December 14', 1823, Serial No. 680,753. Renewed March 29, 1930.

This invention relates to improvements in carpet sweepers f the'traction driven type. Such sweepers usually comprise a rotary brush which is operatively connected to the traction wheels and is disposed adjacent the mid-portion of the sweeper. A dust collecting receptacle is usually positioned on each side of the brush wherefore the sweeper is arranged to pick up sweepings whilebeing moved rearwardly as well as forwardly. An objectionto sweepers of this type is that the dust cannot be retained within the receptacle but is scattered into the atmosphere. One of the objects of my invention is the incorporation in a carpet sweeper of the standard type of a suction mechanism which is so disposed with relation to the brush and so operated by the usual movement of the sweeper that a continuous draft from the brush chamber is obtained, and thus the dust is effectively removed during the operation of the sweeper.

A further specific object of my invention L is the provision of a mechanism for creating a suction in conjunction with the usual sweeping mechanism such that it may be readily attached to existing sweepers with very little change or modification in the construction thereof;

I accomplish these objectspreferably by placing a fanhousing within the sweeper casing directly" above the brush, and within the housing providinga fan with gearing directly connecting it to at least one of the .traction wheels, in a manner not to interfere with the relative rising of the traction wheels when the operator bears down on the sweeper handle in the usual operation of the sweeper. The ratio of the gear-' ing is such that'the fan is .caused torevolve at a higher rate of speed than the traction wheels. Moreover suitable clutch mechanismis provided for enabling the fan to be actuated directly by theforward propulsion of the sweeper and by momentum during the rearward stroke thereof. In this way a suction is produced wlnch 1s eifectlve forremoving dust not only when the sweeper is being propelled forwardly, but-also while it is being moved rearwardly.

A preferred mechanism for carrying out the above objects, will hereinafter be more fully set forth in the following description which pertains to the accompanying drawings. The essential features will be summarized in the claims. i

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of a carpet sweeper embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the sweeper shown in Fig. 1; Fig-:Sis a transverse section'taken on the line 33 on Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal section as indi cated by the line 4.4 on Fig. 1; Fig. 5, is a perspective of the bracket carrying. the upper bearing'for the fan shaft; Fig. 6 is a cross section of the clutch as indicated by the lines 66 on Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is an end elevation of a modified form of the sweeper showing an alternate means .for drivingly connecting the fan,v and traction wheels. Fig. 8 is a section of one end of this fornr of the sweeper taken along the lines 88 of Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is a sectional planshowing one form of the attaching bracket for the pusher bail. I

I have illustrated my invention in connection with a carpet sweeper embodying a casing having end walls 10 and- 11 which cooperate with a frame 12. The end walls illustrated have slotted openings 18 and 14 for receiving shafts .15 and 16 respectively.

-A springretainer 17 is shown assecured intermediatelyiat 1 8 to an end wall, and as having the ends thereof engagingthe shafts to provide a floating bearing therefor.

The shafts and 16 eachhave traction wheels 19 and 20 carried thereby, outside the walls 10 and 11. v I p A brush 21 mounted on a shaft 22 is enclosed within the casing intermediate'the shafts 15 and 16. 'The brush shaftis shown as journaled indownwardly opening slots 23 and 24 at opposite endsof the casing, and 1;

as having at its ends rollers 25 .frictionally engaged by the wheels 19and' 20 respectively. 7

When the sweeper is in use, the downward pressure on the handle causes the casing and the brush (which inidle position clears the floor, as shown in Fig. 2) to move downwardly so that the brush engages the floor,

the spring 17 yielding and the slots 13 and 14 allowing such movement relative to the wheel axles.

The heavy sweepings picked up by the brush may be collected in receptacles 26 each of which is disposed beneath the corresponding shaft 15 or 16 and pivotally mounted at .27. The pans may be emptied in the usual disposed directly above the top, of the brush so as to draw the dustinto the fan chamber, not only fromv the brush, but also from the compartments onfeither side of; the brush. The housing is arranged to: be attached to the top of the frame12 and to; extend into the sweeping compartment. sufficiently to bring the inlet aperture 32 directly above the brush. 'The housing is; shaped so that the discharge passageway v33 extends to, the

rear side of the sweeper and is arranged for attachment to a 'bag l (Fig. 1), the other end of which .may be supported by the handle extending from the ball 75.

The fan is shown. as rigidly mountedon' a vertical shaft 34, the upper end of which Y is journaled at 35 in a bracket 26 and the lower end of which is journaledlna thrust bearing 37, which is supported bya portion of the casing'38. The shaft34 may be rotated by a bevel pinion-4O thereonxwhich meshes with a gear 39, asshown in Fig. 4. This gear is mounted on a shaft 41, one end of which is journaled in the bearing 42 and the other end of whichmaybe attached to a driven-member 48 of a clutch.= The cooperating driving mem'ber 44 of the clutch is carriedjon shaft-45,"the axisof wh ch-"is in alignment with the sha ft 41 Suitable lorar'zkets'or bearing blocks 46 and 47,1'1's1ng from an extension of the fan housing casting, support the shaft 45, thus easily aligned bearings for the two shafts are provided.

' I have found it convenient to coverthe "drumlike housing 31 and thegearing: with a sheetmetal guard or dust cap 57: This guard may extend downwardly as at 58- to over the sprocket wheels and chain. 1

v To rotate the shaft 45 I prov de a driving connection between it and one of the traction wheels of such character as will allow relative movement between such shaft and shown particularly in Fig. 3),

wheel. As shown, a gear 48 on the shaft 45 which meshes with a gear 49 on a lay shaft 50, also carried by the bracket 46 (as and this lay shaft carries a sprocket wheel 51 which is rotated by a chain 52 from a sprocket wheel 53. This last mentioned sprocket wheel is shown as rigid on the shaft 15 and as disposed intermediate the wall 10 and the traction wheel 19.

The clutch member indicated by the cooperating parts 43 and 44 embodies a usual clutch construction for transmitting rotation only when the driving shaft is actuated in one direction. clutch members may be connected byv rollers 55 occupying tangentially positioned notches 5.6 in the clutch member 43. v

The clutch is so arranged that when ever the sweeper is moved forwardly the shaft 41 isrotated simultaneously with the shaft This inturn effects rotation. of the fan through the gearing 39. and 40. On the other hand when the sweeper ismoved rearly, n he it h is di engag d hi As shown in Fig. 6, the.

the direction of rotation of the shaft 45 is .during the rearward aswell as the forward stroke of the sweeper.v p

An important characteristic of the. present invention, is the adaptability of the fan to sweepers wherein the traction wheels, are supported on a floating hearing, such bea.r. ings being illustrated by the spring 17 and the slots 13 and 14 respectively. Thus, when pressure is placed on the sweeper handle sufficiently, to force the. sma ls upwardly with relation to the end wall of the-sweeper casing, so as to bringtheabrush into close contact with the. surface to be cleaned, then such relatively upward movement. of the shaft15 will merely slacl'ren the chain 52 without interfering with the positive drive be w n, the' eel .53 and th p n n 1- In this construction the driving means is somewhat simpler-while OH IthQ other hand itis'inore diificultto remove the brush for cleaning. It will benoted that in bothconstruct ions the traction wheels are allowed to move relativeto the brush and casing In Figs. 7 to. 91 have shown a modified "form in which the clutch shaft 45. is driven frjomthe brushshaft by a sprocket chain.

is that shown in Fig. 8. wherein the roller 25 may, comprise a ring surrounding the reduced portion 60 of the brush shaft andfastened securely thereto. I have utilized the inner surface of this ring for securing and -19 I mount a single sprocket 62 on the free end of the clutch shaft 45 thus driving the fan mechanism from the traction wheels, friction roller 25 and sprocket chain 63.

In order to pivotally mount the pusher bail conveniently near the center of gravity of the sweeper I have provided an attaching bracket therefor, formed of a singlestamping and indicated at in Figs. 7 and 9. This bracket is in the nature of a stirrup having legs 72 and a connecting portion 73. A downward extension 74 from the connecting portion serves to receive a bearing pin 77 on the ends of the bail 75 while the outwardly extending flange 76 may serve as a detent for the bail to hold it upright in idle position. The portion 58a of the dust cap or guard covering the sprocket chain may extend into this stirrup as shown to lend a finished appearance to the sweeper.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings, it will be apparent that I have provided means for effecting the removal and collection of dust from a carpet simultaneously with the actuation of the sweeper, and that such means is readily adapted for attachment to existing carpet sweepers. Moreover the arrangement of the operating parts is such that the fan is rotating constantly while the sweeper is actuated intermittently. An

advantage of a machine made in accordance with my invention is the simplicity and economy of construction, the machine being much cheaper than standard vacuum cleaners, while having the valuable dust-collec ing feature not present in standard carpet sweepers.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In combination, a carpet sweeper casing, a brush carried thereby, said casing having an opening above the brush, a housing carried by the casing and projecting through the opening into the casing, said housing having a bottom inlet opening in close proximity to the top of the brush, a vertically extending shaft enclosed within the housing, a fan mounted on said shaft,

traction wheels carried by the casing, and

means drivingly connecting at least one of the traction wheelswith said shaft above the fan.

2. In combination, a carpet sweeper casing, a brush mounted Within the casing, traction wheels therefor, said wheels having floating bearings connecting them to'the casing, a fan mounted on a vertical shaft above saidbrush and means operatively con necting the fan shaft with at least one of the traction-wheels, said means including a sprocket wheel and chain connection adapted to allow movement of the traction wheels with relation to the casing without disconnecting the driving connection to the fan. I

.3. In combination, acarpet' sweeper casing, a brush mounted within the casing, traction wheels therefor, said wheels having floating bearings connecting them to the casing, spring means tending to force the bearings downwardly, a fan mounted on a vertical shaft above said brush, a

- ratchet clutch geared with the fan shaft and a connection including a sprocket wheel and chain between the clutch and at least one of the traction wheels, whereby movement of the traction wheels ,withrelation to the casing may occur without affecting the driving connection to the fan.

p 4. :In combination, acarpet sweeper casing having an opening adjacent'the top thereof, a brush carried, by the casing, a housing attached to, the casing and projecting through the opening into the interior of the casing and terminating short of the brush, a vertically extending shaft rotatably mounted within the housing, avfan rigid with the shaft, a horizontal shaft extending outside the housing and operatively con-.

nected to the vertical-shaft, driving means for the horizontal shaft, said means includ ing a one-way ratchet clutch for positively actuating the horizontal shaft when the sweeper ismoved in one direction.

5. In combination, a carpet sweeper casing having an opening therein, a brush carried by the casing, a housing projecting through the opening and having a portion thereof outside the casing, a vertically extending shaft supported by the housing, a fan rigid on said shaft within the housing, said fan also projecting partially into the casing, a bearing block outside the housing,

.' a horizontally extending shaft, bevel gearing operatively connecting the horizontal shaft with the vertical shaft, a clutch having one member mounted on the-horizontal shaft and having the cooperating member supported on the bearing block, and means for driving said cooperating member. 7

,6. In combination, a carpet sweeper cas ing, a" brush therein on a horizontal axis, dumpable pans on opposite sides of the brush, pairs'of tractionwheels at opposite ends [of the casing respectively, the two wheels .of a pair being on opposite sides of the ,brush and serving to drive the same, housing mounted on top of the casing and communicating through such top with the space within the casing above the brush, a

dust receptacle in communication'with said housing, a "horizontal fan within said housmeans 'whereby said fan is driven by said traction'wheels, said means including a horizontal shaft above the carpet sweeper casingand the *fan housing, bevel gearing connecting said shaft with the "fan and clutch one member'of which iseonne'cted to the traction wheels to the other member of said clutch whereby in the 1 operation of the sweeper them'omentuin of the fan imparts a continued movement thereto though the direction of movement of the sweeper is "reversed; r

7 In combinatioma'hollow carpet sweeper casing, abrushcarri'ed thereby,'traction Wheels carried by the casing anddrivingly connectedwith the brush, means 'for a'djust- 'ing the vertical relation 'of the traction wheels to the casing to allow the -brush to "tion with the space about the ibrush and sink into the car'pet being s'wept, a housing rigidly carried by the casing above the signature. said shaft, and a driving connection from connecting the other member ofsaid clutch *to said traction wheels for driving the fan continuously in one direction only consequent upon the repeated forward movements of the casing and independent of the intervening backward "movements thereof.

In testimony. whereof, I hereunto afiix my WILLIAM in. SHERBONDY.

brush and communicating with the space 'within'th'e casing, adust receptacle in con niunlcation with said'housing, a rotary-sue tion fan within said housing, and transmission mechansm connecting said fan to a traction wheel and maintaining such conwheels and the other member of the=cluteh operable independently of vertical move ment of said wheels with relation 'to the casing,

9. A carpet "sweeper having ,-a easing, a

7 pair of horizontal shafts verticallyshiitable Y therein and projecting beyond-the 'c'as'in'g,

member of which is c'Q'nnected tOthe fanand a driving connection between the traction four traction wheels mounted on the "ends 7 I ofsaid shafts, a central horizontal brush within the casing having a pair of rollers in'frictiona'l engagement with said wheels, and dumpable pans on opposite'sides ofthe brush, combined with a horizontal fan mounted on a vertical axis over -=said brush, a fan housing mounted on the to'p' of the casing and communicating in an axial direcabove the pans, a dust bag into which the fan casing discharges laterally a horizontal shaft above the fan housing and said "casing geared with said fan, an over-runningclutchone member of which is connected to said horizontal s'haftfa'nd ine'an's drivingly 

